Article 2. Powers And Duties of California Education Code >> Division 2. >> Title 2. >> Part 20. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 2.

The board shall determine all questions of policy within its powers.

The board shall adopt rules and regulations not inconsistent with the laws of this state (a) for its own government, (b) for the government of its appointees and employees, (c) for the government of the day and evening elementary schools, the day and evening secondary schools, and the technical and vocational schools of the state, and (d) for the government of other schools, excepting the University of California, the California State University, and the California Community Colleges, as may receive in whole or in part financial support from the state. The rules and regulations adopted shall be published for distribution as soon as practicable after adoption.

The board shall study the educational conditions and needs of the state. It shall make plans for the improvement of the administration and efficiency of the public schools of the state.

The State Board of Education may:
  (a) Establish at the request of the governing authorities of any state institution, courses of instruction for the inmates of the institution.
  (b) Examine under arrangements with the governing authorities of the institution the progress of students taking the courses and grant high school diplomas to students meeting the requirements for high school graduation. Certificates of completion previously awarded by the State Board of Education to students who, at the time of the award of a certificate of completion, met the requirements for high school graduation, shall be deemed for all purposes to be the equivalent of diplomas of high school graduation.

The board shall issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses before the board, or any member thereof, in the same manner as any court in this state. Whenever the testimony of any witness upon any matter pending before it is material, the president shall cause the attendance of the witnesses before the board, or a member of the board, to testify concerning the matter, and the board may make a reasonable allowance for this purpose not exceeding the fees of witnesses in civil cases. The allowance shall be paid for out of the appropriation for the expense of the board, but in no instance shall an allowance be made in favor of a witness who appears in behalf of a claimant. The provisions of this section shall not apply to proceedings conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

The board shall adopt and use an official seal in authentication of its acts.

The board shall cause the Department of General Services to do any printing required by it. All orders for printing shall first be approved by the Department of General Services.

The board shall submit to the Governor biennially on or before the fifteenth day of September next preceding the regular session of the Legislature, a report of its transactions for the preceding two years, together with recommendations of its needs for the coming biennium, and such recommendations as to changes in laws or new educational legislation as may seem to it to be necessary.

The State Board of Education shall develop guidelines which school districts may use in the development of teacher evaluation procedures pursuant to Article 11 (commencing with Section 44660) of Chapter 1 of Part 25 of Division 3 of this title, and shall distribute such guidelines to every school district.

The State Board of Education and the governing bodies of any county, city, and fire protection district are authorized to enter into agreements providing for the assignment of employees of the fire departments of such counties, cities, and fire protection districts to serve as instructors in fire training programs conducted under the auspices of the State Board of Education and providing for the payment to such counties, cities, and fire protection districts by the State Board of Education from the funds appropriated for vocational education of such amount as may be agreed upon for the services of such employees.

The State Board of Education shall revise the health instruction framework adopted by the board in 1977 to include instructional guidelines on the following:
  (a) The relationship of proper health and nutritional practices during pregnancy to the health of the newborn child for pupils that are 12 to 18 years of age.
  (b) The recognition that violence is a public health issue and a condition that is learned and may be prevented through education and community-based intervention. In helping to carry out this requirement, the State Department of Education shall consult with existing community resources that have expertise in these matters when developing a curriculum for violence as a public health issue.

The Legislature encourages school districts to comply with the State Board of Education's English Language and Arts Writing Arts Strategies on cursive handwriting standards whereby pupils are expected to write fluidly and legibly. School districts are encouraged to teach methods of penmanship that may include, but are not limited to, the D'Nealian Method and the Palmer Method of penmanship.